


Because of you

by clumsykitty



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Captain America /Iron Man Reverse Bang 2018, Comedy, Earth3490, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fun, Stony - Freeform, Superior iron Woman, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-21 00:24:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14905014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clumsykitty/pseuds/clumsykitty
Summary: Two worlds, one created by an evil sorcerer and another where everything is rosy until a magical bridge forces Natasha Stark to take desperate measures to rescue the love of her life... from himself. All with the taste of a comedy.





	Because of you

**Author's Note:**

> I want to say "Thank you so much!" to Ranoutofrun for allow me to do this crazy idea based on an amazing illustration, and my cheerleaders: Tathie and Marie for encourage me to write like this. Also, I want to say thank you to the admins of RBB 2018 for the oppotunity, I did my best and here we are.
> 
> This story is based on many references, mainly a Shakespeare drama, Sakuntala's Ring (sort of) and others. English is not my first language, forgive my mistakes. English comedy is hard, but quite interesting to write.

**BECAUSE OF YOU**

 

* * *

 

 

**ACT I. The loss of the beloved ones.**

 

_[For the sake of this adventure, let’s pretend that we are reading this infamous story with the voice of David Attenborough]_

 

 

Beloved readers that honored this space with your precious time a humble attempt to make you laugh, allow me to introduce you the crazy scenario before your eyes. Read with attention, because the references and details are very well hidden, sometimes for a noble reason called interest, sometimes because the exalted imagination of the mind behind this story, didn’t realize how much trouble could find in a comedy.

As you very well know, when The Beyonders though that destroy the multiverse was a funny idea, several worlds were created and if you asked me, with a lack of taste in geographic distribution and fauna. But, who are we to judge the effort of evil mind trying to survive? So, now we are going to discover a curious world that we are going to call, Antonia. Why Antonia? Why not? The truth behind the name you will discover in time, now let’s continue with another peaceful world which was blessed with the lucky and survive almost intact. And when I say almost intact I am referring to a bizarre bridge between Antonia and this second world named Earth 3490.

Once we are settled with this scenarios in a quick brief, our story began with a single figure running through a road up to a high mountain. He is a shadow, an assassin, and the most important aspect, he is a true lover. Our man has a dark brown hair with cold blue eyes and wears same dark clothes in the manners of a soldier who was trained by a terrible, terrible organization called H.Y.D.R.A. and time later he escaped and find peace living in this Earth 3490. Why is he running so fast and looking with desperation something? He is trying to locate the bridge before mentioned, a bridge that disappears and appears randomly as the thoughts of the writer of this story. So, our man, who has a name -James Buchanan Barnes- found the bridge in the very near of a precipice.

Maybe you are thinking in a huge, rock made a bridge. I am sorry. Is only a narrow, wooden made bridge with a fragile cord to grip and walk, tinkering as the signal of its soon disappearing. James Barnes, who we can also call “Bucky”, jumps and run as fast as he could to cross the bridge before it changes its location once more. We are lucky to see him touch the other side, this world Antonia even he doesn´t know is called like that. Bucky smiles behind his mask and prepares his guns and knives to fight if it is necessary. If you are guessing right, you know why. He is looking for his lover, a beautiful but deadly woman with red hair and bright eyes who answers at the name of Natalia Romanova… and sometimes, because she is a good believer in the jokes, Natasha Romanoff.

James feels the joy of the reunion in his beating heart, adjusting his sight to this new world which looks very similar at San Francisco. He doesn’t know why and certainly, he doesn’t care because his only concern is finding and bring back his Russian redhead woman. But in the very moment when he steps in the bay, he feels something wrong about this other San Francisco. His head hurts and he needs to blink. Making a pause to give more entertainment to you, dear readers, I must tell you that our missing Natalia Romanova is here, in Antonia, in San Francisco, because she was hunting an H.Y.D.R.A. member. When she was doing that, the bridge sprouts suddenly from the ground and swallow the femme fatale in front of a shocked Barnes. That’s why he is now hiding and searching his lover with anxious eyes.

But he can’t find her, even with the locator in his hand. Meters away, he is feeling like he is forgetting something. Every step he makes, his mind starts to get confused and woozy. Being an expert assassin, Bucky retreats from San Francisco, Antonia. He is not prepared for the atmosphere that made him started to forget his mission. When he finds the bridge, runs fast but with anger, crossing and recovering his last thoughts. He was searching for his Nat but when he was in the place, the place somehow forces him to think in other things. A treat. He is frustrated. Who doesn’t? Your lover needs you and a fuc… excuse me, another world stopped you.

So, James walks exasperate and tired straight forward until he reaches the beautiful New York City, looking for a luxury and famous tower. He types on his metal arm to open it near of his hand and push a button, waiting a few minutes before a man with bold hair and broad shoulders in a spangled blue uniform comes out from the tower. He is carrying a shield behind his back. Now, let’s read -or hear- their conversation.

“Buck.”

“Steve. I need your help.”

“I read it in your message. What’s wrong?”

“Nat disappeared.”

“What? She is working in his workshop.”

“Nat… Natalia, not your wife.”

“Natalia? Where? Why?”

“A magic bridge or something swallows her, I was trying to find that fuc…”

“Language.”

“… that bridge and took me days to know where it will be.”

“Are you talking about the bridge with that other Earth?”

“Yeah.”

“And you said that it just swallowed your Nat?”

“Yeah.”

“No bridge can swallow people, my friend.”

“This could.”

“Very dangerous.”

“You tell me! Nat is missing!”

“Calm down, Romeo. And continue.”

“I crossed the bridge and a fuc…”

“Language.”

“… stupid San Francisco City appeared in the other side, so I walk through but I had only a dozen of meters walked when my mind started to get fogging and dizzy and somehow I forgot what I was doing there.”

“Are you sure you didn’t drink alcohol before doing that not very intelligent move?”

“Steve, the next time you assume that I…”

“Continue.”

“I retreated. Something was wrong and come back to this world.”

“You shouldn’t go alone, Buck. That was a mistake.”

“No, shit.”

“Language!”

“For the love of the Buddha, stop telling me that!”

“Why he?”

“Why he what?”

“Bucky.”

“Steve. Please, come with me and help me to rescue Natalia. Maybe she is lost, without memories or similar.”

“Or killing someone with her legs.”

“Why you said that?”

“What?”

“Steve.”

“Buck. Let me call Nat and tell her about our mission.”

“Is very necessary?”

“She is my wife, my only and truly love…”

“Stop. I am going to locate again the bridge while you are being a good puppy.”

Our braves men find the new location next to Rhode Island Beach, so they run chatting about a good plan to retrieve Romanova without losing their memories when in the middle of such bridge they see a figure waiting for them. At the first sight, they took the figure like a kind of piñata -that sweet toy of Mexican parties- because it wasn’t very big or large for the matters. If we can say how it looks from our point of view, we could say that it seems very familiar like a rounded pillow that in some toy stores called Tsum Tsum. Such curious figure presents itself with a red floating cape, dark mon clothes, and an awesome facial hair. It was floating in the middle of the bridge, as he -because it was a he, excuse me- waits for the two men to approach.

“What is that?” asked Steve Rogers.

“I don’t know.”

“It was there when you crossed?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“You have been positive other times and the situation turned out negative.”

“Punk, that pillow wasn’t there floating when I crossed, okay?”

“I believe you. Seems like is watching us.”

“Maybe it can talk.”

“Pillow doesn’t talk.”

“Do you hear about the pillow talk, for once?”

“It’s not the same, my friend.”

“We are wasting time.”

“We should…”

“No. Let’s talk.”

“Buck…”

“Who are you and why are you in the middle of this bridge?” Inquired James with rouge voice.

“My name is Strange.”

“You can tell us your name, we are used to hearing strange names in strange things.”

“No… my name is Strange.”

“Go on, tell us.”

“My name is Stephen Strange. I am the Sheriff of Latverion, the universe of the Good Doom.”

“He is strange”, Whispers Steve and Bucky nod, “But he mentioned Doom.”

“I don’t care”, Growls James, “Stephen Strange, we need to cross this bridge, so be a good strange pillow and move aside.”

“I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because that permission requires a tribute.”

“What the fuc…?”

“Language”, Says Steve and walk in front of Tsum Stephen Strange, “What kind of tribute?”

“This is a forbidden place. If you wanted to step inside, you need my protection or you will forget everything you are.”

“Thank you for telling us this now!”

“Buck.”

“He is lying!”

“There is no need for me to tell lies. Give me something unique, special and I will give you protection for six hours to walk inside Antonia without losing your memories.”

“Why six hours?”

“Why not?”

“If I give you a tribute,” Interrupts Steve, “How can be sure that you are not going to betray us?”

“These are my terms. Take them or leave it.”

“For a chatting pillow is very persistent,” Bucky take out his guns and points to the floating Tsum, which rounded eyes narrow.

“Do it and you will never ever see this bridge again.”

“Buck! Stop already!”

“Move Pillow Strange!”

“Time! Time! Time!” shouts Steve, pulling to him the impatient soldier and look at Strange, “Wait here, don’t move the bridge. You will have your tribute.”

“At least one of you is intelligent.”

“You piece of sh…”

“Let’s go. We will go back, Strange.”

“I know you will.”

Our confused men walk back to his world, while the Tsum Tsum remains floating in the middle of the bridge, with a malicious smile. James wanted to shoot at the rounded pillow, but Steve contained him long enough until they reach the workshop where Roger’s wife, Natasha Stark, was working very concentrated and far away of magic bridges and magic rounded pillows. Once the Cap could distract the brunette woman from her work, they do their best to explain to her what was going on while she listened to them with a frown and her beloved cat mug in one hand.

“Let me get it straight,” She says, finishing her coffee, “You two wanted to cross a magic bridge to find our Russian spy and a rounded pillow which is capable to talk, and float stopped you? The Captain America and the Winter Soldier couldn’t move a piñata?”

“We need the gauntlet, honey.”

“My precious gauntlet? Steven Grant Rogers, maybe you are my husband but my love doesn´t cover give you something that has the power to destroy the universe.”

“If you didn’t notice before, the universe already is broken.” Growls Barnes.

“Mine not.”

“Nat, sweetheart, is for your friend.”

“And besides, is a false gauntlet, you always say it every time.” Insists the Sergeant, almost pleading.

“Because I haven’t found time to prove it.”

“Nat.”

“What the hell, okay, I will give you the gauntlet with one condition.”

“Why everybody is asking for conditions?”

“Hush, Buck. Tell us, darling.”

“I am going to cross with you two.”

“No.”

“Steve?”

“No.”

“Steve?” Bucky asks shocking, “It’s… perfect.”

“No.”

“This fugitive of the Smithsonian thinks that I am not capable to protect myself.”

“No.”

“Steve! The pillow is waiting!”

Natasha, being the Stark that she is, turns on his heels and walks to open a secret door, entering and moving things before retreats and show a huge golden gauntlet with three stones attached on the knuckles.

“Captain America, I am Ironwoman and your wife, this gauntlet will travel with me or you can deceive your friend because you are a moron and a brute donkey.”

“Steve… please.”

Maybe our beloved friends could imagine the rest of the conversation once we see the three of them walking to the bridge with Tsum Strange almost sleeping in the air. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw the gauntlet, stretching his little arms or hands to receive such a tribute without a trouble even that little hands seem incapable of hold something. Steve was mad, Bucky relief and Natasha was proud, taking every arm’s men to continue their path. But then, -because dear readers, the mastermind behind this story need a pretext to continue the rest of the story- Strange growls and throws the gauntlet to the nothing. Indeed, the artifact was false… for the moment. The magic Tsum move his little hands and the two men disappear in front of the eyes of Natasha Stark, who was pushed back to his world.

“Hey!” She screamed when she hits the ground.

“You will never see them again! You tricking creature!”

“That is Loki!”

“The gauntlet was false!”

“Of course, it was!”

“And now you will lose your husband and his friend! Forever!”

Natasha stands up with rage. “Give me back my Steve! And my friends!”

The sorcerer laughs, fading with the bridge. “Say goodbye, Natasha Stark.”

“You are going to regret this, stupid pillow!”

Only the laughing of the Tsum was heard as the last answer. The brunette woman shouts and kicks in the air until she gets tired. She collapsed on the floor, crying and later, growling. No men or being alive was born to defeat her. And as Master Shakespeare says once, there is not more hell to fear that a woman looking for vengeance.

 

 

* * *

 

 

**ACT II. If you are going to San Francisco.**

 

Now, we can talk a little about the circumstances and scenarios that we are going to admire in the next paragraphs, dear and very patient readers. Since Strange rejected Natasha Stark and put his magic upon the two braves and lost men, many things changed only for the bad taste of the writer of this story. So, please, close your… no, no… ahem… let’s make an imaginary exercise and say that we can close our eyes and see San Francisco Bay in Antonia’s world. A beautiful morning where everybody is taking a good time after the breakfast hour and before lunch. Gorgeous ladies walking in bikinis and handsome men doing that spectacular thing called physic culturist. These content and somehow busy people are listening to the news because will be in the next minutes a prime announcement. The kind of people without many worries love the most.

“Now, our special news: San Francisco was chosen as the first city on being gifted with a special present. We are talking about a single cellphone app that will give us a second life. We only need to download it for free and live the results. Magic? No. Trickery? Absolutely not. Please, follow the link…”

As all you may be thinking, when people received something free, never asked what kind of consequences are or who made is possible. Just for the joy of the free gifts, San Francisco’s citizens downloaded that app on their phones in the next minutes. By the noon, we started to see a little change. Some adults begin to look around, searching for their missing families. Others, the youngest and not very clever, run from the side of the bay until the other, noticing something that maybe, because you are more intelligent than the mind behind this, already saw between the lines. The nonexistent continent, land or whatever that belongs to America, and therefore, the world.

So, now, a handsome blonde and tall man in charge of the justice in San Francisco by the name of Nomad, notice these behaviors which started to be more savage if we can label it. People got crazy, really crazy. Screams and fights surrounded the earlier and quiet streets of San Francisco, a place floating in the middle of nothing but a white cloudy limbo. Such news will drive crazy even the toughest man in the bay. Nomad runs across San Francisco, watching his beloved people being a victim of that disastrous app and make the decision to hunt the guilty one.

We see with deep pride how this marvelous hero makes his path in the most American way: by punches. Soon, he is tracking a name, S. I. W., the mastermind behind the free app that brought San Francisco in such pandemonium. The capital letters lead him until a magnificent building which mysteriously remains intact, but our hero, being a hero -and because the writer has no taste for the good literature- climbs up until he is touching the roof. There, a luxury loft is in front of his narrowed eyes, walking inside without asking permission. He finds only one person, a beautiful red hair woman typing with boring manners on a tablet, without turning around to face this concerned hero.

“You know,” The sensual woman speaks, “People used to knock the door or get announced in the lobby.”

“Who are you? I don’t know you.”

“My name is Natasha, and yours is…?”

“The streets honored me as Nomad.”

“Oh… the Nomad.”

Natasha raises her head to see Nomad with a mischievous expression only to get mad our brave and determined hero.

“Nomad, the protector of San Francisco, am I right?”

“What is S. I. W.?”

“Enter in private property is a crime.”

“Are you S. I. W.?”

The red hair woman stands up and walks until he is face to face with Nomad, smiling as the smart woman that she is, because Natasha knows something, and our soon angry hero notices it.

“What brings the Nomad to this loft?”

“S. I. W. is making people crazy.”

“Yeah? Why don’t we look? I promise you not push you over the near.”

Nomad grunted it but follows Natasha to the corner of the loft, peeking of his beloved San Francisco. He is hundred percent confused by now. The disaster has gone, replaced by a strange calm. Nomad has some powers as you may well know. He can hear the peaceful voices of the people in the streets, the initial hysteria is now a type of chattering and whispers. They are talking about many things, but the common subject is: Where are we? Nomad is now angry, not biting the threat and turns around to see the red hair woman very pissed and wanting to obtain his information right now without more lies.

“What do you do?” Spat furiously.

“Nothing.”

“You are lying! What did that app do? Tell me now!”

“Yelling a woman being the intruder is not polite, you know?”

“If you…”

“Stop right there,” Smiles Natasha, “Can we have an arrangement?”

“What do you want?”

“You have in your powers something that I want.”

“I do not possess…”

“Winter Abomination.”

“What?”

“Bring him to me and I will speak about the app.”

“No.”

“Then, I suppose this is a goodbye.”

Never trust a red-haired woman with a Russian accent, she will push you over the near even if she promised not to do it. That’s what happens to Nomad in a blink of the eye. But don’t fear for him, this attempt of quick anguish moment disappears very quickly. Our hero is safe, he falls on a sand truck and except for a few bruises that his super serum will heal, nothing more hurt him. Meanwhile, San Francisco stopped every single work or hobby. Its citizens are taking the streets, singing while they walk. The lucky ones find their beloved ones, others, are trying to figure out what is going on and why they are living in a piece of land floating in the nowhere.

“Seems like Nomad is tougher than we suspect,” Mutter a second woman behind Natasha.

“He will be back.”

The second and brunette woman smiles, her eyes sparkle with a hint of danger born from the revenge in a bright blue tone.

“I know he will.”

And she was right, dear and marvelous readers, because the next day in the morning, something happened to San Francisco. This time, shouts and calls for emergency say hello to the dawn and fill the air before breakfast for a reason: the app stopped its free experiment and this “second life”, one full of beautiful and richest memories, disappeared. To continue that dream that taste so right and truly, the app requested a high amount of money. All of you probably will say to such crazy demand but the people of San Francisco say yes, and the chaos returns will full force that Nomad returns to the only untouched building, this time with his friend. An expert and grunt fighter with a rare condition is a talking bear with a metallic arm. Yes, yes, we know who is real but in San Francisco, people call him Winter Abomination and Nomad protect him from the hunters.

“Stop this nonsense!” Shouts Nomad in the very moment when both crashed the windows and entered the office below the rooftop. Winter Abomination pointed his two guns to Natasha… and the other Natasha.

“Who the fuck are you?” Growls the big bear.

“Are you talking to me?” Says one Natasha.

“Or me?” Speaks the other.

“… both!”

“You are hurting innocent people, and this must stop,” Demands Nomad, looking at the brunette woman.

“And what if I do not want to stop it?” She dares to answer.

“You will die,” Winter Abomination pulls the triggers.

“ _Zvezda moya_ , put that damn gun down,” Orders the red-haired woman.

If Nomad’s jaw hadn’t be joined to his face, it would be dropped when the bear obeyed Natasha’s order. Was the name? Was the way she was looking at the sniffling furball? You can tell what it was. Winter Abomination stares at the beautiful Russian woman very confused because inside of him, a voice is telling him to listen, Natasha, follow her everywhere, and the whisper inside his mind has the power of a supernova… or maybe a neutron collision star… anyway, the case is that Nomad doesn’t believe his luck but before move a single muscle, a hand on his shoulder stops his tracks.

“Not so fast, Nomad. Let them be.”

“Let them be?”

“Yes, be.”

“What they will be?”

“A couple.”

“A couple of what?”

“Of Russian lovers, perhaps.”

“Perhaps?”

The brunette Natasha smacks Nomad without seconds thoughts and pokes his chest.

“Rhymes has never been your strong, Steve.”

“How do you know my real name?”

“Simple. We are married.”

“What?” Nomad steps back with huge eyes, “No way!”

“Do you want to save San Francisco or not?”

“Yes,” The tough expression returns to our hero.

“Then you are going to do what I say, and if you dare to fight me, San Francisco will die. Are we clear?”

“I am not…”

“ARE. WE CLEAR?”

Let’s make a properly pause to put a few things clear. Everybody knows that Steve Rogers is dense as a massive black hole, but his nemesis always will be his precious and by the moment, forgotten wife. Because is written in the stars and in the law that the last word in a married couple fight belongs only and only to the woman. And our loved Nomad maybe is suffering from Antonia’s amnesia but is not an idiot to disobey an angry woman in a perfect sensual suit that makes his eyes rebels to his command to not to move from Natasha’s face.

“Are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

“I adore when you say references.”

“Uh?”

“Romanova, I am going to take Nomad with me. Can you handle your assassin teddy bear?”

“Affirmative. Good luck, Tasha.”

Our beautiful and for now, deadly brunet woman, took Nomad to another room, where she opened metal doors to reveal a wonderful tight spangled uniform with a white star embroidered in the chest. With the suit comes a circled shield too. Both things lured Nomad but only a few seconds because Strange’s spell was very strong and Natasha Stark noticed it when those beloved blue eyes lost the passion and returned to its normal state.

“Do you want me to wear these?”

“Yes. As long we have the arrangement. I will save San Francisco, you will wear this uniform and shield as long as another thing.”

“What it could be?”

“I want the golden ring in your left hand.”

With a jump, Nomad retreated looking angry at Natasha while his right hand covered the gloved left where a wedding ring was hidden from sight.

“No.”

“No?”

“I can’t give it to you.”

“Why?” Natasha asked curiously, “Do you have a wife somewhere?”

“… it’s not your business. And the answer is no.”

“Leave that stupid although sexy costume and put this uniform in your perfect body. Give me the ring and San Francisco as Winter Abomination will be free.”

“Release my people and then I will consider if I can give you this ring.”

Natasha twisted a smile, his husband even without memories was dense as usual. Some things never changed if you allow me the comment.

“Okay, Moises, but the uniform is a requirement.”

“Where is the room to change the clothes?”

“Do it here. I will appreciate.”

“No.”

“For Newton’s Laws, you are so correct sometimes. At your left.”

Steve looked at her with a confused expression, that beautiful and sarcastically woman could pronounce word that made felt a buzz, but in the next second that feeling was gone as the thought about it. Natasha waited, and his patience was rewarded with a sight good enough to shake his heart and mind. A tall blonde handsome man in a blue spangled suit with a rounded shield on his back, a loved image and the reasons for her shenanigans as we know if this narration is good enough. Our now Captain America reloaded walked towards the window to see his San Francisco and be sure that nothing lethal was happening. Once again, the uniform and the shield felt on him like he always wore them, but his mind refused the thought.

 “What now?” Asked with a low voice.

“Now… now we are going to have fun.”

He turned around when he heard a noise, like engines clashing and metal twisting. Rogers was not very wrong about it. In front of him, the brunet woman was changing, and the verb wasn’t enough to describe his transformation. White-blue liquid appeared from a secret door and enveloped her body, forming an armor from toe to head, only leaving her face to see. Steve couldn’t believe it and maybe we must have him a little credit for it. Who in his clear mind could accept that a symbiotic metal surrounded and create an armor only with the snap of a finger? Only a mastermind would be the inventor of such technology and Natasha Stark was a brilliant, genius and determinate woman in the search of his beloved one.

“In the name of God, what are you now?”

“You can call me… Superior Iron Woman.”

“Superior what?”

“Come on, Steve. A party is waiting for us.”

“Wait…” the reason enlighted the Cap, “You are S.I.W.”

“Figures. Don’t pout, you look too sexy for it.”

Engines roared, and Natasha winked at his memoryless blonde while she floated in the air. A window opened to let her fly and disappear before the man could ask where she was going, realizing that he must search her and probably capture her in that blue costume and shield. A treat that Steve was ready to fight. He returned where his friend and furry friend was, crossing his arms when he saw Winter Abomination purring and laying in Romanova’s lap. The Russian spy was brushing that dark brunet hair with love, singing in her native language some lullaby for his dopey friend. The Cap coughed to break that moment, Natalia gave him a sulk before released the giant and fluffy bear that stand up, shaking his thick body.

“Nomad?” He asked, stunned, “What happened to your clothes?”

“We are leaving, S.I.W. escaped. Let’s go.”

“But…”

“What’s up?” Steve frowns.

Winter Abomination looked at his Russian woman and back to Rogers.

“It’s very necessary?”

“YES!”

“He need you Zvezda moya, help him in his new challenge”, Cheered Romanova, smiling at his beloved but deadly bear.

“I will be back as soon we finished.”

“And I will be waiting for you.”

“We are losing time!”

“She flew to the opposite building in the other side of the bay” Informed the red hair woman, “That’s where the party is on.”

“Come on, my friend.”

“Natalia…”

“Later, baby, later.”

They ran or is better to say that Steve rode Winter Abomination not because he was making fun of the giant bear, but we could accept that if you have a bear friend and he is fast as usual, well… a lift doesn’t hurt anybody. Our brave men noticed something. Was the noon when they entered the building and did all the pertinent stuff as heroes of San Francisco Bay, and Steve talked a couple of hours with Natasha Stark even if our writer didn’t clarify it. The natural thing was that the evening appeared on the horizon. But the noon was starting with a brilliant sun covering the floating city. A glitch. The first time in San Francisco. Winter Abomination growled and ran accelerating when he spotted a crystal building. What was happening? Our braves heroes were about to find it.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**ACT III. And justice for all the lovers.**

 

Only love could hurt the way Natasha was feeling. Steve didn’t remember her, and the words exchanged the uniform as well wasn’t helping. But she was a genius and a fighter. She gazed the horizon and looked down at her watch inside her armor. Soon everything will be revelated when a stupid Tsum appeared because she knew that Strange was watching very closely the events in San Francisco, his molded prison where the supreme sorcerer put the dangerous people capable to destroy Doom’s realm. He never suspected that one day the bridge created by the Beyonders could swallow a Russian spy with a tough lover trying to rescue her and putting a Stark in his path when he asked her for help. Now, the confrontation was a fact.

And we are very aware of the achievements of Natasha Stark and the common knowledge of what a woman could accomplish if she is tempted in the way a sorcerer Tsum did. San Francisco now is overcrowding the crystal tower because was announced minutes earlier while we are catching up, that the famous app will have one hour free for everybody who attends the party. So, yes, we have children, families, elders, and everybody trying to get until the pool party where S.I.W. is cheering with people who now can say useful information to defeat his enemy. But this isn’t her only goal, she wanted empty streets because a battle is coming like the winter… if you, dear readers, could understand the reference.

“S.I.W.!” Steve screamed, with Winter Abomination breaking through the crowd, “What are all these?”

“Wikipedia called them ‘people’, why?”

“I am wearing this uniform and this shield, we have a deal!”

“Ah, uh” Natasha smiled, pointing at the blonde’s left hand, “The ring.”

Once again, Steve doubted because that ring even if he didn’t know, he couldn’t be separate from it. A completely NO was written in his mind and heart.

“I see, come with me… join the party. You are welcome too, Winter Furry.”

Have a giant grunting bear in the middle of a ballroom wasn’t exactly the kind of enjoyments that anybody could expect but, again, since the reward was a free hour of the app, nobody made a complaint. Natasha leaded Steve until a loveseat, where both occupied under the gaze of the guest in that room, whispering about their Nomad wearing a curious uniform and the shield that was left at the side of the couple. Outside, the weather was changing again. Clouds were formed, the cold breeze started to play in the empty streets and the crystal tower twisted a little. Yes, you read very well, so appreciated readers. Weren’t you assuming that our Superior Iron Woman was forgetting the little details only for her rescue of her lover, were you?

Now, our poor but strong hero looked around, wondering what the plans in the beautiful brunette women at his side were. She only asked for a drink and put his heavy and metallic foot on the small table in front of them, exactly as the men when they were watching their dominical American football or baseball or whatever they watched in the seventh day of the week. Natasha watched the golden ring attached to that strong hand, gripping a wide knee. Her eyes sparkled in the blue light, she turned her head to see Winter Abomination lost in the fondly touches of his Russian spy, thinking that with a couple hours more in that place and the fluffy ball could transform in a type of Winnie the Pooh by the honey that his eyes were dripping. At least someone was recovering his lost puppy. Noon was announced with a piano melody from the clock in the wall. Showtime.

 

 

 

 

“Tell me, Stevie, why do you have that ring if it doesn’t mean anything special?

“It’s special.”

“I am all ears.”

“… I can’t tell.”

“Because you don’t remember.”

“You’re trying to confuse me and made me think that you are a good person and I marry you.”

“No, I am 100% sure that I am a good person.”

“Said by who?”

“By you.”

Steve snorted, shaking his head. “I’d have never met you before.”

“Let’s do this: give me the ring if I don’t mean anything to you.”

“No.”

“Come on, it will be funny and a very interesting experiment.”

“No.”

“Then use my app.”

“What will be the reason to do it?”

“Because I want the ring but since you don’t remember, I want to help you with that.”

“No.”

“Newton, Einstein, and Hawking! Steve Rogers, you are impossible!”

“You tricked all these people, telling them that your app is some kind of magic trick that shows a different life from theirs. But isn’t true. They suffered and almost killed each other.”

“At first, later, they understand as you can do it if…”

“I am not going to bite it.”

“Figures,” Natasha rolled her eyes, calling a waiter for another drink.

“You should drink that much if you are thinking in defeat me.”

“Don’t you want to take advantage of me?” She smiled, tasting the whiskey.

“I am an honored man.”

“The hell you are.”

“What?”

“What?”

“What do you say?”

“That you remind me of the babe.”

“The babe? What babe?”

“The babe with the power.”

“What power?”

“The power of voodoo.”

“Voodoo?”

“Who do?”

“You do.”

“Do what?”

“Remind me of the babe,” Steve growled and messed his hair in frustration, only to raise up his head when everybody around started to chant those meaningless words. S.I.W. stood upon the little table that trembled. She clapped and started to dance, his back to our freeze hero. A surrealist scene, yes, because our writer thought was a funny idea. We can watch a crowd dancing around the couple and singing the song that they started under the dumbfounded eyes of Steve Rogers, who couldn’t give credit at this singular moment in his life as Nomad. His eyes traveled all along the metallic and curved body of Natasha while she was very busy almost shouting and jumping on the table. A good one if you ask me, dear readers.

 

_Dance magic, dance (dance magic, dance)_  
_Dance magic, dance (dance magic, dance)_  
_Put that baby's spell on me_  
_Jump magic, jump (jump magic, jump)_  
_Jump magic, jump (jump magic, jump)_  
_Put that magic jump on me_  
_Slap that baby, make him free_

 

Something inside of the blonde man pulsed, like a lightning striking a tree or as some U2’s song said, an angel hits the ground. His heart beat so fast that he didn’t move, somewhere in his mind, the scene before his eyes weren’t new, unlike as should be he was feeling in his very soul that he watched that earlier, many times in another place. One full of heavy tools, robots rolling everywhere, one of them enough clumsy to drip a mug of coffee over blueprints and chirped as a hurt child while the others cleaned the mess. And Steve smiled because the left hand moving around without care between robotics arms and armors in the red and golden paint, was using a golden wedding band exactly like his. He clasped on his seat, sweating and breathing hard, closing his eyes to see more clearly that memory because it was a memory and not a trick from the app. But again, when he tried to see who was wearing the ring, his mind was black, and the memory was gone.

The song ended between howls and claps from the people around him, and Natasha came back, smiling and trying to recover her breath, putting her foot again on the coffee table while our brave and now confused hero covered his face with both hands. More music filled the air, inviting at the party guest to mind on their own business. Natalia Romanova whispered something to his furry lover, Russian words specially enchained to program a bewitched mind. Everybody in the crystal tower was dancing and having a good time without look outside, a rain started to fall, first, like a mere drizzle, later like if the unreal heaven above them released all the water in the universe on our fake San Francisco Bay.

“What’s wrong, honey? Aren’t you feeling okay?” Asked the brunette woman, sneaking to look at Rogers.

“Don’t call me honey.”

“Pfff. I just want to be polite.”

“Then, you shouldn’t poison the water.”

“What do you say?”

Steve turned his head to her. “You poisoned the water of San Francisco, that’s how it worked the app in the people. It wasn’t because of it, it was a microwave signal for the nanorobots in the water insides everybody’s bodies.”

“Whoa, apple pie, you almost made me think that you are a genius!” Laughed Natasha.

“Am I right?”

“Well…” She was to answer but a noise called her attention.

“What…. What is going on outside?”

A very pissed Tsum appeared at least in this scene, sending his Crimson Bands of Cyttorak everywhere not for blind someone in particular but hit the walls and buildings, taking note of the empty city. Tsum Doctor Strange was pissed, very pissed, S.I.W, otherwise, was very pleased.

“The piñata arrives at least.”

She stood up and flew before Steve could say his own name while Natalia and his very angry fluffy bear growled and took her outside and both run to follow the brunette woman. Our confused hero didn’t know how to proceed because the people around him were looking at him with fear expression. He needed to protect them but at the same time, a battle was about to start and he couldn’t let Superior Iron Woman do that. Then, to help our wonderful hero a woman approached him with a cellphone in hand and a kindly smile on his face with black hair.

“Steve, you didn’t remember me, but I am María Hill. I remember now, not my fake name. Trust me and use the app, please. A life depends on it.”

“What life?” He asked still doubtful.

“Yours.”

Meanwhile, in the empty streets of San Francisco, a fight was started. Imagine, dear readers, a scenario where a powerful supreme sorcerer with the size of a Tsum threw spells against a desperate wife in a symbiotic armor making her best to rescue her husband. Because our writer doesn’t have the skills to narrate a good battle, allow me to do something in compensation. Let’s pretend that we can hear the shouts through the rain, and some _KABOOM_ and _POW!_ and _OUCH!_ and _YOU BASTARD!_ And some _HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_ Between the furious exchange of hits and kicks, spells that almost cracked the white metallic armor and for the last, of course, our uncommon lovers in the ground firing, biting the Tsum when Strange landed because of a good fist of Natasha Stark. Some buildings finished in ruins and other with big holes on its walls but remember that this is a fanfiction and really nobody is going to be mad for it.

“YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME, STUPID STARK!” Yelled Tsum Strange, not very educated.

Superior Iron Woman was on the ground, some feet below inside a huge hole. She stood up with her symbiotic armor melting in some parts -the allowed to be decent on this story- and raised her head with the same determination that when she arrived in the shadows for the first time on that fake and magical world.

“I am a Stark, indeed, but I am not stupid,” She touched her left wrist and push a button. The crystal tower started to shine and everybody inside was fading.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

“Let my people free,” She mocked.

Strange roared and more lightning crashed on the streets, hitting lamps and cars. The piñata… ehem… the Tsum called his cute but tiny Sword of the Vishanti and attacked the brunette woman flying straight to her. Natalia reached them, with Winter Abomination throwing knives and his own sharp claws at the sorcerer who retrieves.

“Maybe you released my prisoners, but I still have in my power two men.”

With his tiny hands calling a spell, the supreme sorcerer turned to Winter Abomination only to be disappointed when his magic didn’t work on him. Natalia Romanova smiled and hugged her lover.

“Eat your words, fucking wizard.”

Red eyes, literally red eyes, appeared on Strange face, he flew and twisted on the air before moved so fast that nobody could stop him from slapping Natasha with rage.

“YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR ME, PEASANTS!”

Winter Abomination spoke. “That could be true, but he is your match.”

Now, let’s make what the experts named a digression. While they were fighting the Tsum, Steve used at least the app when he walked out of the crystal tower in time when everybody disappeared, leaving him alone in the lobby. He was skeptical about this technology and afraid too. But when he pushed the button “ENJOY IT” that activated the app… okay. Let me try better. There is a tale, an ancient Hindu tale about a king charmed by a curse that only a ring on his finger could reveal to him who was the woman that one day cried in front of him because he didn’t remember and when he recovered the ring and put it on his finger, he saw all the memories like a pieces of leaves falling on his mind. The same effect but with less poetry worked on Steve.

He remembered everything, since the first time he opened his eyes after fell in the ice and saw the most beautiful eyes on his life, through a metallic mask. The fear of Natasha when she revealed to him that she was indeed Iron Woman. When she cried. When she smiled at him. The first kiss on Central Park when he dropped his ice-cream. Their wedding. And other things that we can’t expose because is related to their intimacy and our write desire to have a low rating. The cellphone was broken by the blonde’s hand once all the memories came back to his foggy mind and the clarity sprout like margaritas on the ground. Why the rage? Because he also remembered that his wife was using the dangerous symbiotic armor, only to rescue him. Because the other ones could be detected by Strange’s magic and being the tough Stark that she was, his brunette woman planned all with the genius mind of her.

So, he runs to the battle and saw the exact moment when the sorcerer slapped his wife and thrown her to the floor. A shield whistled in the air, flying straight to Strange when Winter Abomination noticed him. Steve stroke the Tsum with all his power, fury and the appropriate force that a very offended husband could accumulate after those times being Nomad and far away from his wife and world for the matters. No, he didn’t kill him even if Strange deserves it but let’s say that the supreme sorcerer will need more than the Vishanti’s blessing to heal quickly. Four figures surrounded Strange when he finally fell inside a trash can. He looked at them with green eyes.

“You… can’t… defeat… me.”

“No, but we will,” Replied Natalia, caressing her bear.

“You broke my memory spell, Stark. But Winter Abomination still has an animal form. My spell is working on him.”

“Release him now, Strange,” Ordered Steve, he raised his shield.

The sorcerer laughed. “No! No, until I have the equal compensation for Stark intrusion and her low trick to revert my magic. It´s a law in this land and while all of you are here, the law is unbreakable. Try to make the bear cross the bridge and he will die. The only way to exit from here is being a human!”

“This motherfu…”

“Language, Buck.”

“What is your stupid condition?” Asked Natasha, pointing at the Tsum with a canyon, “And don´t lie to me or I will fry your ass.”

“I want Bucky’s heart.”

“WHAT? NO WAY!” Romanova roared, loading a gun.

“Wait…” Natasha stopped her, turning to Strange, “You wanted Bucky’s heart.”

“Yes!”

“Only his heart?”

“Yes!”

“By the law that rules this fuc…”

“Language, sweetheart.”

“What a time to interrupt. By the law that rules San Francisco, is your word, Doctor Strange?”

“IT’S MY WORD!” He flew up from the trash can to see the other face to face.

“Toni… what are you doing?” Pleaded the Russian spy.

“Take Bucky’s heart and release us.”

Strange laughed again, making appeared a sharp knife. Winter Abomination growled and only Steve could restrain him.

“Trust on her, Buck. She knows what she is doing.”

“I claim my compensation now,” Strange flew to the furious bear.

“Strange,” Natasha Stark smiled, “Remember, by the law you ONLY can have Bucky’s heart. If you take from him something else… like his blood, you are breaking the magic law of this San Francisco.”

Everybody held their breaths. Natalia opened big eyes and smiled as Steve who smirked.

“If I took his heart is obviously that…”

“You say Bucky’s heart. Not Bucky’s heart and blood.”

“WHAT?”

“Were you lying Doctor Stephen Strange? On your own law?”

A fracture appeared in the grey sky, showing a ray of light. The sorcerer gasped and if it’s possible, opened more his rounded eyes.

“I…”

“Take Bucky’s heart. But not his blood, not even a single drop of blood.”

This time, Winter Abomination himself offered his fluffy and big chest to the stunned Tsum which by the way, was appalled.

“I… I can’t…”

“Then, since you can’t do it, but we were willing to obey your words, your law got a controversy and we won, Doctor Strange,” Exclaimed the brunette woman.

“Release Bucky from your spell, NOW!” Romanova pointed her gun at Strange’s head.

The silence Tsum puffed but another fracture in the sky appeared, so he turned offended and moving his tiny hands. Winter Abomination shook and with a low growl, he transformed in our original grumpy assassin that his Russian lover jump on him. Steve nodded, satisfied and took his wife’s hand.

“We are free, now. Let’s go.”

“First…”

“Toni, no.”

“Toni, YES,” The brunette woman looked at the sorcerer, “Since this land of yours doesn’t have any purpose now, give me to me. Unless you are hiding something.”

“You can keep it, but don’t forget it, fools, one day the God Doom will punish you.”

“Whatever, go away, piñata before we decided to open you to see what is inside.”

With a disapproval growl, Tsum Doctor Strange disappeared, flying away from a couple of lovers who decided also to walk away from an empty San Francisco Bay. They went back, chatting and joking while crossing the bridge. Once there, Steve pulled Natasha against his chest, embracing her with a chaste kiss.

“Now, quit that armor. I am safe, we are back and everything is airtight.”

“Nope.”

“Natasha…”

“You know how to put away this,” She winked at him with a mischievous smile, “I will wait for you in the Tower, darling!”

She flew, our beloved Captain America in his senses made a fish mouth before laugh and say goodbye to the other, which have the same thoughts as the genius woman because let’s face it. When you fight a long time, two things desire the most: a good bath and a good… am… you know, love and other physical things. So, this is how the problem got solved but not the story, be kind and read the little conclusion about the love and its searching.

  

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

**FINAL ACT. Because of you.**

 

Finally, our lovers could rest and talk longer about everything that happened since Natalia Romanova was swallowed by a magic bridge and the rest decided to rescue her and later, she and her friend, Natasha Stark, rescued instead our two brave men. Since Doctor Strange gave San Francisco to the brunette, she decided to call that unreal word as Antonia because she always wanted that name since she noticed that Natasha was a popular name between women and particularly heroes. And besides, Antonia could match better her nickname Toni, more than Natasha itself. Now all of you could understand the beginning of this crazy story and why weeks later, San Francisco became a popular amusement park between 3490 citizens.

Steve thought that Strange never considered the option of search somewhere a spell that could help him to take Bucky’s heart without a single drop of blood, but the pressure of a pissed Superior Iron Woman cut the cleverness of the supreme sorcerer. And we know that this married couple don’t like the hate very much and hurt people so bad. They got what they wanted and release the prisoners of the magic land from his amnesia and liberty, so yes, they saved the day and their future until in a distant land somewhere else decided to change the disaster that the Beyonders did. Until then, Steve and Natasha could enjoy a peaceful moment in 3490 and go on the weekends to Antonia where they stayed doing private things, if you understand, dear and so patient readers. The Cap finally asked his wife how she managed not to despair and do something crazy when she knew all and saw him being Nomad.

“Because of you, Steve. Because of you.”

And our story ends with this answer and its meaning. There are days that seemed gray and long with so much trouble, there are people out there hurting other just because they wanted, there are bad decisions and terrible accidents without our control, but if we can hear our hearts enough, we could find that we are better than all these obstacles, better than any bad intention or loss. We are made of stars and like the stars, we could enlighten our own life better when we have something to protect. A reason to stand against the injustice and change what is wrong, because we have something to protect, something that we want to see a smile, hug, or write for this curious instance. Like the writer of the story that tried with the bottom of her heart to make smile and then, give you a spark to shine and go on.

Thank you so much for being here until these humble words. Have a good day and a happy life. 

 

 

**THE END**


End file.
